This invention relates generally to the field of hockey training devices, and particularly to hockey puck-handling training devices.
Puck-handling is an important aspect of the game of hockey. Proficient puck-handling allows a hockey player to outmaneuver opponents and to prevent them from taking possession of the puck. Furthermore, proficient puck-handling helps hockey players to make better passes to teammates and to deliver better shots.
Because puck-handling is such an important part of the game of hockey, training exercises focusing on this aspect of the game have been performed since the game originated. A typical puck-handling training exercise consists of a player moving a puck quickly in a triangle in front of him. In this exercise, the player positions the puck as far as possible away from his body, moves the puck quickly into his body, then across his body, and back out again. In this way, the player learns to utilize his reach in maneuvering the puck, and also develops the hand-to-eye coordination required to maneuver the puck adeptly.
In teaching this training exercise, coaches usually instruct their players to imagine a triangle on the playing surface, and to move the puck along that imaginary triangle in the manner discussed above.
Instead of utilizing an imaginary triangle, some coaches place pucks or cones on the playing surface to define a triangular shape.
A major disadvantage of the above-described training exercises is that the motion of the puck is not constrained along a permanent course. That is, especially in the exercise using an imaginary triangle, the player most likely does not follow the same course during the numerous repetitions of the training exercise. Also, the extension of the player's reach may decrease after multiple repetitions of the exercise. These phenomena decrease the effectiveness of the training exercise because the player is not compelled to utilize his entire reach during the exercise and he does not practice the precise movements required to control the movement of the puck effectively. Furthermore, the presence of cones on the playing surface may interfere with the movement of a player's hockey stick when he is performing the training exercise.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a hockey puck-handling training device that defines a constant training path along which a hockey puck may be moved.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a hockey puck-handling training device that may be altered to define many different training paths.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a hockey puck-handling training device that encourages the hockey player to utilize more of his available reach when he is performing the training exercise.